Stoke City 1-1 Wolves: Match Report

Wolves make one change from the Burnley game. The team selection today to start the game is as follows:

 

Bentley, Hoever, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Bellegarde, J Gomes, Andre, Munetsi, Lopez, Strand Larsen.

 

Subs include: Johnstone, King, H Bueno, Hwang, Kalajdzic, R Gomes, Chirewa, Guedes, Mane, Lima Lopes.

The first ten minutes Wolves couldn’t get into the game. Stoke passed it around confidently. On 13 minutes a fast Wolves break saw the ball come inside from Hoever finding Fer Lopez. He beat the defender and unleashed a cracking shot from twenty yards that shaved the left hand post with the goalkeeper beaten.

 

Andre cut out a dangerous Stoke move in the box on 18 minutes but the ball went back to Stoke, Agbadou tried to be too clever with the tackle and gave away a corner.  Wolves cleared.

 

Lopez couldn’t find his range with Wolves next corner on 24 minutes. But on 30 minutes Bellegarde was taken down and this time a delicate floating free kick by Lopez found Toti beating the offside but he couldn’t hit the target.

 

On 35 minutes Strand Larsen was scythed down from behind as Stoke were taking no prisoners from their Premiership neighbours.

 

Hoever did well to clear a Stoke corner on 42 minutes but from the following corner Stoke took the lead on 44 minutes the ball coming back through a crowd of players from 20 yards but the replay showed that Junho who got the last touch was one of three players offside.

 

So Wolves trailing 1-0 at the break. Expecting a big team changes in the second half as other players get match practice. But on possession and effort alone Stoke worth their lead.

Wolves make two changes, Johnstone comes in for Bentley and Hugo Bueno for Andre. Bellegarde moves to midfield.

 

Stoke continued to press and were more threatening. Toti cut out a dangerous cross on the edge of the six yard box, giving away a corner.

 

Hugo Bueno was seeing plenty of the ball using his pace down the left wing. Sadly it didn’t generate any clear chances as all his crosses were intercepted.

 

Vitor made further substitutions, off went Doherty, Bellegarde, Lopez and Strand Larsen. They were replaced by Sasa, Guedes, Hwang and Rodrigo Gomes.

 

As he had done all the first half Hoever continued to make himself available down the right wing on the overlap. But with it being Wolves first match back from Portugal they were just not clicking. Stoke however were passing the ball freely but Wolves coped with their movement.

 

On 73 minutes a slick one touch passing move ended with Hwang getting the ball just inside the area. He was hauled back unceremoniously by the Stoke defender. Stonewall penalty. Hwang grabbed the ball and was not letting it go. Stoke tried delaying tactics before the referee pointed to the spot for Hwang to get set. Thoughts going through your mind when did he last score?, was it our day?

 

Hwang ran up and hammered it but the goalie guessed right and blocked it! Luckily for Hwang he was first to the rebound and he finished off the goal. Wolves back level.

 

On 77 minutes still charging up and down like a Duracell battery, Munetsi made a crunching tackle putting the ball out for a Stoke throw.

 

On 80 minutes Guedes went close from 20 yards from a Toti pass. Wolves final substitution was Lima for Hoever.

Wolves had their best spell in the last 10 minutes and on another day with the aid of VAR might have got a penalty from two pieces of Stoke foul tactics missed by the referee. Stoke finished off by getting the rub of the green from the referee.

 

Full time and a draw 1-1.

 

This was Wolves first friendly back from Portugal and it showed. Stoke were sharper in their play having played more games.

 

But Wolves had some promising displays from out two new wing backs, Hugo Bueno and Hoever. Both more than capable defensively and threatening when going forward on the overlap. Both easily getting back to defend.

 

Fer Lopez showed some good touches and as the game wore on his crossing became more effective.

 

As the players get more match practice and along with the introduction of Jhon Arias  and Fer Lopez in attack along with more practice for Hugo Bueno and Hoever the prospects are not as gloomy as the lack of new signings might suggest. There are still several weeks still to go in the transfer window.

 

Verdict, good work out.